CyberCorps Scholarship for Service: Training Iowa’s Cyber Talents to Protect the Nation’s Critical Infrastructure

Iowa State University, Ames IA

Investigators

Abstract

This project will establish an SFS program at Iowa State University (ISU) to address the national need for a well-trained cybersecurity workforce, particularly in critical infrastructure protection. This initiative will prepare students to secure essential systems, such as energy grids and telecommunications networks, that underpin the nation's safety and economy. Graduates will enhance national security, address emerging threats, advance the cybersecurity field, and bolster the federal cybersecurity workforce. The project will recruit CyberCorps scholars, strengthen community engagement through cybersecurity education and training, and build partnerships across academic, public, and private sectors. The program's comprehensive approach ensures graduates are technically adept, leadership-ready, and capable of addressing the sophisticated challenges of securing critical infrastructure. This project builds on ISU’s longstanding cybersecurity education and research expertise, focusing on critical infrastructure security. The project will produce a cohort of skilled cybersecurity professionals in B.S. and M.S. programs through comprehensive education, hands-on experiential learning, and rigorous mentorship. Students will engage in research and real-world applications using state-of-the-art cybersecurity testbeds, gaining expertise in artificial intelligence, network security, and cyber-physical systems. The project team closely works with state and federal government agencies as well as national labs. Students will undertake thesis projects in critical and emerging areas such as AI applications in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection, and contribute to cybersecurity research. This project is supported by the CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) program, which funds proposals establishing or continuing scholarship programs in cybersecurity and aligns with the U.S. National Cyber Strategy to develop a superior cybersecurity workforce. Following graduation, scholarship recipients are required to work in cybersecurity for a federal, state, local, or tribal Government organization for the same duration as their scholarship support. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.